No. 8 Kansas takes down No. 4 Houston 78-65 in Big 12 showdown (2024)

Ball movement has been the kryptonite to No. 4 Houston's elite defense thus far in 2024, and No. 8 Kansas employed that approach to perfection on Saturday. The Jayhawks shot 69 percent from the field, supplied 20 assists on 31 made field goals and trailed for just 32 seconds in front of a raucous Allen Fieldhouse, cruising to a 78-65 victory.

K.J. Adams, who Houston coach Kelvin Sampson deemed one of America's most underrated players, made sure his talents were on full display, scoring or assisting 12 of Kansas' first 16 points. Adams found Aussie freshman Johnny Furphy for an open 3 to swell KU's lead to 16-8 and force a Sampson timeout, but directly out of the stoppage, Furphy drilled another 3-pointer to put Kansas up nine after just six minutes of action.

Furphy continued to benefit from Kansas' excellent ball movement — the Jayhawks assisted 12 of 17 field goals in the first half — with 15 first half points on a perfect 5-5 shooting performance, and he flushed another Adams dime to give Kansas a game-high 16-point lead before the under-4 media timeout.

While in the first half it was Furphy and Adams leading a transcendent Kansas offense, the Jayhawks turned to their familiar alpha Hunter Dickinson out of the locker room.The Michigan transfer scored six points in as many minutes to start the second half, including a tough and-one finish through Joseph Tugler to give the Jayhawks a 54-38 lead with 14 minutes remaining, and led the Jayhawks with 20 points and eight boards on the afternoon.

Toeing a 20-point deficit with fewer than 10 minutes remaining, Houston's star guard L.J. Cryer took ownership of a desperate comeback bid. After a nearly invisible first half, Cryer exploded with 21 points after intermission, including a dominant stretch where he scored 18 straight Houston points.

Cryer's scorching run concluded with a steal and a 3-point jumper within just eight seconds, pulling Houston within 10 for the first time in nearly 20 minutes before the final media timeout. The pesky Cougars could claw no closer, however, as Parker Braun answered with a pair of free throws and Kansas cruised down the stretch.

The three words that opposing teams dread to hear from the Kansas faithful: Rock Chalk, Jayhawk. But in the final seconds of a wire-to-wire victory, where Kansas trailed for just 32 seconds and led by 15 inside the final minute, the iconic chant rang around Allen Fieldhouse as Kansas clinched a 78-63 victory.

Hunter Dickinson once against led the deadeye Jayhawks, who finished the afternoon shooting 69 percent from the field, with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Kevin McCullar and Johnny Furphy each pitched in with 17.

With the fourth-ranked Houston Cougars toeing a 20-point deficit with fewer than 10 minutes remaining, star guard L.J. Cryer has taken ownership of a desperate comeback bid. After a nearly invisible first half, Cryer has exploded with 21 points out of the locker room, including all of Houston's last eighteen points.

Cryer's most recent contribution, a steal and a three-point jumper within just eight seconds, pulled Houston within 10 for the first time in nearly 20 minutes. The Cougars will look to make it interesting here late against the Jayhawks.

CRYER ON FIRE 🔥@LjCryer x #ForTheCity pic.twitter.com/ZQOAEgVG7f

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 3, 2024

While in the first half it was Johnny Furphy and K.J. Adams leading a transcendent Kansas offense, the Jayhawks have turned to their familiar alpha Hunter Dickinson out of the locker room.

The Michigan transfer has averaged better than 20 points per game on the season and scored six points in as many minutes to start the second half, including a tough and-one finish through Joseph Tugler to give the Jayhawks a 54-38 lead with 14 minutes remaining.

Through 20 minutes, even the historic Houston defense proved no match for an uber-talented Jayhawks roster firing on all cylinders Saturday, as the Jayhawks shot 68 percent from the field to take a commanding 43-28 lead into the locker room.

K.J. Adams, who Houston coach Kelvin Sampson deemed one of America's most underrated players, made sure his talents were on full display for the college basketball world, scoring or assisting 12 of Kansas' first 16 points. Adams found Aussie freshman Johnny Furphy for an open three to swell KU's lead to 16-8 and force a Sampson timeout, but directly out of the stoppage, Furphy drilled another three to put Kansas up nine after just six minutes of action.

Furphy continued to benefit from Kansas' excellent ball movement — the Jayhawks assisted 12 of 17 field goals in the first half — with 15 first half points on a perfect 5-5 shooting performance, and he flushed another Adams dime to give Kansas a game-high 16-point lead before the final media timeout.

Kansas' sweltering start lulled a bit, converting just two field goals in the final four minutes of the first half, but a similarly excellent defense ensured the Jayhawks entered halftime with a 15-point lead in tact.

Raucous hours before tipoff for the biggest game of Kansas' season thus far, Allen Fieldhouse soared up the decibel counter early on Saturday as Kansas surged to a double-digit lead over No. 4 Houston. With Jayhawks already leading 28-15, the sold-out crowd rose from their seats as Kevin McCullar poked away a steal near midcourt and erupted as the Texas Tech transfer punched a breakaway slam.

he's just like that 😮‍💨 #LevelUp x @Kevin_McCullar pic.twitter.com/zDDi49bBCx

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 3, 2024

McCullar is now up to nine points on the afternoon, one of four Jayhawk starters with at least seven points, but the story remains Johnny Furphy, with 15 points on a perfect 5 for 5 showing from the field.

Ball movement has been the kryptonite to Houston's elite defense thus far in 2024, and Kansas has employed that approach to perfection early on Saturday. Shooting a scintillating 8 for 9 from the field to start, including a perfect 3-for-3 start from the perimeter, Kansas managed to notch an assist on all but one one of its field goals.

Aussie freshman Johnny Furphy continued his deadeye rookie campaign, nailing a pair of early triples to give Kansas a 19-10 lead after just six minutes of play.

This is gonna be really good. 🔴🔵

2 Heavyweights going at it in Allen Fieldhouse.

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/pd2t1JYXt2

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) February 3, 2024

With Houston joining the Big 12 just this season, their historical meetings with Kansas have been expectedly rare. However, with both programs contributing massively to the history of college basketball, these select matchups have often come on the sport's grandest stage. Kansas enjoys a 5-2 series lead in games since 1967, including a 2-1 edge in NCAA tournament bouts.

Here's a look at all seven meetings between Kansas and Houston ahead of their first tilt as conference mates Saturday.

*Indicates NCAA tournament games

If the best remedy for a hostile home court is a strong defense, Houston is well equipped for Allen Fieldhouse Saturday with one of the best units in college basketball history — the Cougars enjoy the third-best adjusted defensive rating in the KenPom era. Along with their stifling defense, Houston also employs one of the slowest tempos in America, forcing opposing teams into their plodding play style and surging to a 19-2 start on the season.

Houston's two losses on the season have come on the road, however, falling to Iowa State and then TCU in thrilling fashion four days later. But Kansas' offense will be one of Houston's tougher tests on the season. The Jayhawks enjoy a scorching 56 percent effective field goal rate, good for 16th in America, bolstered by sharpshooting offseason additions Hunter Dickinson and Johnny Furphy.

Kansas' stellar offense has been predicated on pristine ball movement, currently ranking first nationally with a .69 assist to field goal ratio, while Houston's frenetic defense has been vulnerable to good passing, ranking dead last in A/FG ratio. Breaking down Houston's defense will be key in Kansas defending home court Saturday.

No. 8 Kansas hosts No. 4 Houston at Allen Fieldhouse with a chance at first place in the Big 12 on the line. Here's how you can watch all the high-stakes action:

• ⏰ Time: 4 p.m. ET
• 🗓️ Date: Saturday, Feb. 3
• 📺 TV channel: ESPN
• 📍 Location: Allen Fieldhousein Lawrence, Kansas
• 📈 Live stats:Click or tap here